Son Of A B#@$&

MY LB is a real.....

SON OF A BAKER

Spencer called his dad this one day when deciding which one of us he wanted to help him make bread. He said, " I think I choose dad because he is a son of a baker." I laughed and could not deny this simple truth. The words stuck! It is true MY LB's mom worked in a bakery and is very talented in the category of baking. She was very good at teaching MY LB what she knew and he picks things up quick like.

GET TO THE POINT

Here is the point I am trying to make.....

Isn't it beautiful? It also tasted so yummy!

Spencer and his dad baked and decorated this amazing cake together for the Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet. Spencer received the award for the most Western Looking Cake. MY LB wins the award for being the most AWESOME DAD, and a true SON OF A BAKER!

Kudos to the amazingly talented women in our ward. Spencer's Cub Scout leader is so fantastic. I subbed and helped her out a few times and I had the best time. She is also very crafty which was evident at the Blue and Gold.

Spencer earned his bear! Right on DUDE!

And that mustache I have been growing out (waxing hurts) has finally paid off.

Good Day Y'ALL

Some Stuff

I am feeling like a bulk post, one that sums up all I have to say. That is how my life is right now, how much can I get done at one time? What two things can I combine into one and get both done at the same time? You wouldn't believe the things I can get done while sitting on the toilet.

I can't even crochet without listening to a classic, watching a documentary or listening to conference talk. I desperately want to be a good example to my kiddos of self education and a desire to continue to learn and grow. However finding the time, not impossible, is very tricky.

So I have about 30 minutes before the bed time routine begins and about 4 things I want to blog about.

1. We had a great surprise aunty visit this month and the kids were so excited. They love Kosette and Alison, I don't blame them they are two fun chickies. We had family dinners, a hike, a sleep over, a third wheel on date night and lots of sibling messages. It is always a treat when family visits!

2. Another fantastic trip to the ballet. A love story right before Valentines Day, Sleeping Beauty. It was so wonderful, I loved Kendal's excitement. I also dearly love my growing twelve year old that held his little sister on his lap so she could see, he is great!



3. I have been quite crafty lately regardless of my time crunch. I crocheted two infant hats for Breathing Life Photography, made a valance (that I am in love with) for a good friend, I have been helping another friend decorate her new house, finished my first crochet afghan, taken and edited three photo shoots, I have also been experimenting with bread making (I made my Cuisinart smoke, yikes) and made a couple of stuffed animals with the girls. I missed crafting and creating and knew I had to make it a part of my life again. I took my knowledge of time and how to find more of it and put it to work for me. I am now consistent in my hobby habits and invite the children to participate whenever possible.

Valance for my friend (isn't her house cute)

My first Afghan, so colorful and fluffy

Two infant hats

4. OUTSMARTED 4 to 1, I am realizing that I don't post enough or talk enough about home school. Many of my good friends that I have seen recently have asked about it. Mostly, always in the form of, "Do you still like home schooling?" I want to take this time to let everyone know, YES!

I am in love with home schooling, the more I do it the easier it becomes. My children amaze me with their intellect and desire to self educate. Since we began Thomas Jefferson Education in our home everything has changed, the kids are learning that in order to gain a good education they have to desire it, reach for it and continually grow. They spend most of their days with their noses in non-fiction books. Together we have read, discussed and learned many great things from wonderful classical fiction authors. We have learned to take the characters, experiences and emotions into our lives and live and learn by their experiences. We are also memorizing our states and capitals, presidents and articles of faith, I am proud to say that we are half way there.

My favorite part of our day is devotional, we read and study the Book of Mormon, read stories about virtue and how to become virtuous people, review memorization and pray together. I wouldn't give up this time with my children for anything. I am so thankful for friends and family that care enough to ask how things are going. We are good!

Right now we are completely engrossed in the goings on of Taran the Pig Keeper in the Alexander Lloyd book series, The Chronicles of Prydain. You should check it out.

This story is perfect for my growing boys, they need to know that becoming a man takes overcoming your trials and becoming a better person for it. Taran, is challenged in so many ways and always come out of his challenges stronger, wiser, kinder and of course smarter.

2012 Here We Come!!!

For Christmas this year our household received tickets to Knotts Berry Farm. What a blast! We spent a glorious week in California. It was such a great time together, I love spending family time together without any interruptions. Just me, MY LB and our fabulous four.

MY BFF

Our first stop was a visit with Alice's clan. Alice and I have been friends since sixth grade and have spent many great moments, some of my favorite, together. I love her and I love that our families have remained close after so many years.

Waterfall Hike

Double Date

Two Friends Hanging Out

Off to the BEACH and KNOTTS

Next we were off to our beach side resort. We spent Monday at Knotts Berry Farm. We had such a good time. Once the kids over came their fears they were on a ride-page. I couldn't believe the rides they went on, and LIKED. We recently had watched We Bought A Zoo and in the movie they talked about twenty seconds of courage, the kids used this as their motto for the day. They kept telling each other, "Come on, it only takes twenty seconds of courage". It worked!

I used my twenty seconds of courage to go on the worst ride of my life and came very close to loosing my stomach. WORST RIDE EVER! Love roller coasters, HATE to spin! I was spinning, swinging and getting higher and higher.... I can't talk about it anymore. I had to take a good 30 minutes in the sun sitting completely still before I could continue on our Knotts adventure.

The kids each had their favorite rides and wanted to go on them again and again (which we could without getting off because there were no lines).

The boys favorite ride, 301 feet in the air spinning round and round. It was a pretty cool trip, once was enough for me.

Maggie, LOVED the swings! She stayed on for three rotations one time. I tried the swings right after my ride from HECK and it too was horrible, man I was sick.

Kendal loved the spinning hats and so Jeremiah was doomed to spinning ALL DAY, poor guy. By the end of the night he was all spun out. Did I mention I HATE spinning.

Overall the park was a blast, I liked the rides, we don't know about the food because none of us dared to eat, the entertainment was fun, however my favorite part was this moment I captured as I walked behind my family...

Vacation always brings us closer together. I am grateful for such a loving husband and wonderful children to spend my days vacationing with.

This is how I finished my night, on the kiddie coaster with two of my kiddies. We were screaming, laughing and throwing our arms in the air. A perfect way to end the day!

Merry Service

Each year Grandma and Grandpa Mecham ask for a service project for Christmas. For the past two years we have united with our cousins to make it an extra special project. This year we decided to reach out to cancer patients and try to make their holidays a little brighter. Both of our families have experienced loss do to cancer this past year and it made the experience very personal and special for all of us.

Our family dedicated our service project this year to our good friend and neighbor Shawna Gross. The Gross family moved in when Shawna was seven months pregnant, it was fun to get to know them. Shawna was a working women and dedicated her time to working as a manager at the CPS office. We didn't see her much until baby Carson came into their home. However we did get quite acquainted with her husband John and her two year old Jackson. John is so amazing and happy, every time you see him you are guaranteed a big happy HELLO or a honk of the horn if he is in his truck.
Shawna was diagnosed with cancer shortly before Carson was born and a short five months later she lost the battle and joined her Heavenly Father. She was an amazing example of hope and perseverance, I will never forget the lessons I learned from her. It was a devastating experience for all. The next 9 months of our lives our family grew we now had three more boys (including John, trust me on this one) to love, care for and help mend their hearts. These were some of the saddest and happiest times of our lives. Moving away from them was very difficult and we miss them everyday that we don't see them.

This year our family loomed 30 plus hats for the cancer center and another 10 for family members. We did this all in an amazing three weeks, we know the Lord was supporting us every step of the way. The kids were amazing and learned very quickly. We loomed while we listened to books, drove in the car and watched movies. We dedicated the evenings to watching Christmas stories of hope and service while our little hands loomed away. The movies really helped bring the spirit of giving into our home. Every chance the kids got they wanted to serve, socks for the homeless (YMCA service project), picking Angles from the WalMart tree, and dropping coins into the bell ringers little red buckets. What joy giving brings!

On the week before Christmas the cousins brought the goodie bags and we supplied the hats and we ventured to the Cancer Treatment Center to give our gifts. They were very kind and told us about Team Hope, that is a team of volunteers that would give our gifts to those in the center that they would most benefit. The kids are already asking about how you can become a member of Team Hope. I love this experience and thank Grandma and Grandpa for asking for such a selfless gift and giving us the opportunity to give of our selves in a selfless manner during the best season of all.

I Am A Youth

Today I listened to a home school recording that contained much needed information about the coming of "youth". It was a real eye opener to me of how misunderstood children are and how much we as adults demand to be understood. The speaker touched on hormones and how as women these words should be familiar to us; PMS, depression, mood swings and so on. I loved this part, many of us have been experiencing these hormonal affects for years and yet we still do not know how to control them. Yet we expect a child who is just experiencing them to control them. Puberty is a major hormonal change.

She also stated that because the body has so many other things to be concentrating on during this period of time many things that came natural before become difficult (such as thinking and listening). This period of their life will pass, the hormonal changes will slow down, they will mature and become adults. However, the experiences, positive and negative they have with their parents will last forever. What an awakening! The book The Five Love Languages of Children was brought up and how important at this stage of life it is to know what makes your child feel loved. I need to read this book.

Matthew is such an incredible child, he has been very excited for this time in his life. He has been reading books about it, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens, Receiving and Honoring your Priesthood and a book all about Growing Up. During our oral exam and discussion times he enjoys discussing what he is learning. I am taken back with how much he has grown in spirit, mind and body. He enjoys Leadership Education and is determined to bypass the term Teenager and become a strong and able Youth.

Our new ward has been wonderful for him. He is so social and friendly with everyone and freely expresses compassion. The first week in our new ward he was invited to a party that he enjoyed immensely. He has made many friends in Boy Scouts and had a great time on his first backpacking trip. MY LB accompanied him on the trip and only had great things to say about him.

Knock on wood I have yet to experience any crazy hormonal changes but I feel very blessed to hear the words of experienced women that take their time to teach others how to achieve positive relationships with their children. I cherish my relationship with Matthew, MY LB has expressed how great it has been to go backpacking with him and serve with him now he is of age.

I have been given many things in my life to show responsibility for, but nothing as important as raising Gods children. What a fantastic burden, I pray each day that I get it right. I guess I should also pray to know what getting it right means. I think with all of my heart that getting it right does not mean raising perfect kids that don't make any mistakes. Getting it right means that as a parent I need to have a full and complete understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. To understand the sorrows and heart ache that come from sin and be their for them in their time of need. I know there were many times that I wish I had someone physically there to comfort me and love me in spite of my follies. I am thankful for the peace that comes from knowing that God loves us and wants us to find happiness and offers redemption for our sins.

Matthew, being a good mom to you and your siblings is the most important thing to me (after loving MY LB). It was what I wanted to be when I grew up, a mom, it is my number one accomplishment I want to take with me into the eternities. I love you always and forever, mom.

12

Matthew turned twelve this week and I am feeling unbeleivably old.  I can hardly beleive that I have a youth.  Wasn't it just yesterday that he got baptized?  Time moves so quickly!

He is such an amazing young man with awesome goals and an incredible personality.  MY LB and I are very proud of ourselves for raising such a fine young man (saying that is part of my, "I am good enough" therapy, tee-hee)

 

Matthew has been very excited to become a Deacon (youth program at church) and receive the Priesthood.  It has been fun watching him study, journal and pray about it.  He is such a good example to us.  We love him so much and are looking forward to watching him grow in the gospel and prepare for his mission.  Which by the way time flies, could be tomorrow.

Hey Good Looking!

I finally updated our family pictures.

It took me two years but I think they are well worth the wait.

 

 
 

If you are interested in a Breathing Life photo shoot there is still time to get your picture CD before Christmas.  $50.00 photo shoot and your choice of location.

cmecham2000@yahoo.com for more information

Has anyone seen this girl?

For two entire days this little girl was in our home, very pretty little girl, just not my little girl. I tried to ask her what she did with my baby but she just kept saying, "Mom, I am Kendal". I didn't believe her.

Have you seen this cute little curly headed girl (my baby)?

When I find her I have to think of a kind way to break it to this strange little girl in my house that my curly headed girl is back and now she must go. But I am guessing she wont go quietly. She will make her way back into the house again, I am sure of it.

Every Sunday my little girl asks me if she can have hair like Maggie's for church. Of course I am always trying to give Maggie curls for church. I thought this Sunday since we were actually on time I would oblige her, now I am regretting it. I love curls!

I call this blog "vomit"

You know what happens when you eat and eat and then you spin and spin and spin. Well it's like that with my stock of memories. Lot's to take in all different varieties; scouts, holidays, moving.... etc. So much that it makes my head spin and spin and spin. The outcome.......

I call this.....
BLOG VOMIT

Matthew is cruising in Boy Scouts! At his last Court of Honor with Troop 894 he earned his Second and First Class. He is aiming to be a Star by January.

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For the month of October we lived in a furnished vacation rental while we waited news about a possible job transfer to Indiana and looked for a rental worth renting here in AZ if we stayed. I really wish I would have gotten pictures of our vacation rental. In Spencer's words it was very luxurious and you could live here during any holiday and it would already be decorated. In my words it was a southwest, country, Victorian explosion with a hint of Christmas, Fall and Easter.

Patience is not one of my virtues. After two weeks in the vacation rental we found out that we would be staying in Arizona and our rental search began.

I can't tell you how absolutely humbling, scary, disgusting and disappointing this process was. We encountered many things I hope to never set eyes on again including.... the most disgusting dish washer imaginable, junk yards I mean back yards, crickets coming out of sinks by the dozens, missing cabinets, hoarding neighbors and the piece de resistance a dead kitty. I am not even going to explain the smells we smelled.

I am so thankful for the vacation rental so we could keep searching and find a rental that would suffice. ONLY, four days before move in our rental fell through do to neighbor issues and landlord issues. So on Monday I went out by myself to find something worth renting in ONE DAY so we could move in on Friday. Alas I found something and it was in the same church ward as our vacation rental. We think someone was praying for us to stay in the ward.

I am my own worst enemy and I do believe I deserved this abuse!

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In the meantime our lives moved on......

MY LB and I went to a Hockey game that was AWESOME. We were in the Toyota Club with free food (can't beat that), seats directly behind the opposing teams bench (no blood) and a good taste of the Hockey life.

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We also got a taste of the "rich life"! We received tickets to a benefit ball from MY LB's work. It was very nice, prom night for mom and dad. I bought a new dress and MY LB a new suit and we looked "GOOD". Dinner was great and dancing..... well we left early..... just like prom night, JUST KIDDING!!!

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Outsmarted4to1; home school has been going great despite our moving set backs. I am indeed thankful for libraries and our new Core Knowledge curriculum. My kiddos are absolutely amazing! We have also been working on Scouts as part of our curriculum which took us on a field trip to the Arizona Capitol building where we took a tour, wrote our own bill and took some great camera phone pictures. Too bad later that day I ran my phone over with the car and our pictures entered a black hole. Not one of my better moments.

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Moving was hard work! We are not good at doing things at convenient times for others to be available to help out. So with kids in tow, a very good friend to help and a borrowed trailer we made four very productive trips. Part of the leadership education our family participates in is the value of work and how it is part of being a family member. This week and the next we kicked this value in the butt. The kids were absolutely amazing and blew our minds with their productivity and valiant efforts. Maggie with her wagon full of boxes, Spencer and Matthew with their muscles and Kendal with her whistling tunes made it through two full weeks of moving, unloading and organizing. We were so proud of them!

All of their hard work paid off when they finally go to the box with the WII in it! Happy days at last!

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Of course we didn't skip Halloween. At 2:30 the day of the Trunk or Treat Spencer found the box with the Halloween costumes in it. The kids all cheered and gave him high fives and MY LB and I gave a sigh of relief. We were afraid that since the kids didn't like our idea of being moving boxes for Halloween were going to have to buy new costumes. We are definitely finding that things have a way of working themselves out.

The Trunk or Treat was fun for all of us and it was nice to have dinner that didn't come from a fast food restaurant. We celebrated Halloween a few days later with a pizza party with Steph's Clan and Trick or Treating in our new neighborhood. The chocolate has helped me keep my wits about me, yummy!

Oh yeah that felt good!